Happy in Montana: Being a good steward of the Land

A small herd visits the yard .

 I was listening to Montana Public Radio this morning and there was a short piece on a rancher who worked to live side by side with the wildlife of Montana. He had moved here from Virginia I think and had figured a way to fence his land but make it so the Elk did not get caught in the top fencing . He replaced the top line of barb wire with a straight wire line that was white so the Elk could see it.  His philosophy was that you didn't have to be perfect but simply make something better. This of course led me to think of Land stewardship.

Early morning visitors

 As we share this beautiful country with the wild creatures that preceded us, You have to think about how you solve problems. How are the water resources handled? This is a state that has designated certain plants as noxious. Do we spray them with out a care about toxicity or do we find perhaps more difficult solutions without so much toxicity at the end game.

Grazing the Rocky Mountain Maple

 In the morning light the deer have a surreal beauty in their honeyed brown summer coats. The adults graze on the underbrush moving closer to my rose bush. The baby catching every slight move I make capturing their morning meal.

Baby fawn is aware of being watched

Mr Fuzzy Antlers

Proud buck . He probably would not like me calling him Mr Fuzzy Antlers. Either way it was nice to see him this morning , his coat sleek with a summer of plentiful forage . When we are good stewards of the land everyone benefits. Our balance is maintained and life thrives. The Ma'at the personification of truth , cosmic order and justice is maintained. We celebrate our connectedness . When we live life with this knowing in every one of our cells we move forward to create beauty in this world. Beauty and abundance that manifests from an appreciation of all creatures and their contribution to life here on the blue gem .

Happy in Montana: Baby Goat Goodness

Baby goat on the continental divide , Hidden Lake Trail

Just a quick sneak peak of last week's hike to Hidden Lake . More to come ! And yes mother goat was close by this fluffy baby.

Aurora Borealis: Happy to be in Montana

I have to give a shout out to a young man and his photography: Kyle Moseley. He lives in the area and assembled about a minute of fantastic video of the local auroras. please click on the link for a really nice experience.Kyle Mosely Something Different Photography    I appreciate his ability to stay up all night and catch this beautiful footage.  The AB is one reason I am happy to be in Montana.

Hot day turns cool ......

Horse Pasture in white, and it is winter again ....

 While  I was out watering the plants in the mid 90s heat , a storm moved slowly my way with 'Jaggedy' lightning. This is a special type of lightning that kills you dead. So when you see the clouds and hear the thunder you head indoors. About the time I was getting comfy with a cup of decaf , there was a major noise on the roof. Hail started tentatively at first then came crashing down.

potted plants hugging the wall for protection

 I ran to the deck and put the potted flowers and other plants on the west side of the house up against the wall hoping they wouldn't be shredded

Hail on the porch steps

 Back in the front on the porch the wind is whipping and throwing ice at me as I tippy toe in my bare feet ( it was hot previously ) on the porch.

Live streaming weather

It wouldn't be a good storm with out the sun shining during part of it. And incidentally this is why it is good to have a garage to park in if you live in Montana. 

Happy in Montana: Another Little Feet adventure to Avalanche Lake

Avalanche Creek

 A great way to bring June to a close. Hiking up to Avalanche  Lake with my favorite daughter. The snow melt is in full swing and the creek is full with lots of jumping cascades and frothy falls.

Avalanche Trail

Hiking through the dense forest there is an area of previous storm damage with lots of dead fall. The good news is that you can now see a view as you pick your way through giant trees that were knocked down by the wind storm 

Avalanche Gorge filled to the Brim

 The gorge has many moods. I do love it when the creek is full and there is a great deal of sloshing going on.

Avalanche Trail mossy goodness

 The Lake is 2.5 miles from the parking lot . more hiking through dense woods with the bear spray in hand. We probably won't need it as many tourists are hiking today in flip flops and without water. Their kids are running loose ahead of them .

Gnarled tree roots

Lots of old conifers on this trail, western cedar and various firs. At one point the creek is full and spills through the lower forest floor making an impromptu marsh . Bird song is every where . 

The Creek escapes the banks and meanders through the forest

We are rewarded by reaching our destination. The sound of water falls crashing off the cirque ahead of us. Avalanche Lake spills out cold and clear with beautiful colors of green and blue. 

Avalanche lake

Nothing better than snow melt in the Rockies

 The water for the first few feet has been warmed by the sun but farther in the feet go numb as the temperature drops . Plenty of ducks across the lake fishing while we are pursued by the local chipmunks .

Happy in Montana: Little Feet



As we hiked back to the lower trail we passed a Ranger looking for a bear that was just spotted in the area.  We didn't see it or smell it but glad to be back to base in one healthy and happy piece.

A bit of live action with the creek entertaining my favorite daughter .

Happpy in Montana: Silent Saturday

Avalanche Lake June 28, 2013

Happy in Montana: Healthy Boundaries

super moon

 The super moon is out. In the valley here we have abundant clouds which makes chasing the super moon tonight more of a challenge. Always balanced with the ever present question of how long do we want to stand in the dark waiting for the clouds to shift? This is tempered by the question of where is the mountain lion right now ?

This is a rose bush I planted in great haste last fall . It is bee friendly and as I checked out the yard this morning the bees were gathering great balls of yellow pollen tight to their bee tummies for the flight back to the hive. Some day I will have hives here but for now creating a bee friendly space is fine. 

Blue Flax

I believe this is blue flax . They are a new find this year and of course I am delighted they have joined the yard in providing for diversity.

Trumpet Honeysuckle

Another new comer ( I am sure they were there all along ) is the Trumpet Honeysuckle . I was in the deep forest part of the yard and noticed these orange flowers on the ground. Later I found a large clump of them at eye level and they were on a vine versus flowers from a tree. 

Fungal composition

A beautiful fungal composition deep within the woods. within the few acres that I care for, there is open meadow and deep deep forest with mossy recesses. I suppose you think of Montana as being very dry. And yes it can be very dry especially in August and September . However we are in the Rainy Season and the fungi are having a merry time with the nutrients found on the forest floor.

Seedling

 Dozens of seedlings have sprouted in the warmth of the spring.

Wet weather nurtures fungal variety

Velvety Iris

 Although not a wild flower , the iris is very happy this morning . Another being happy to be in Montana. Happiness is essential for health. Boundaries that are healthy are one of the prime lessons we work on  while we spin though space on this beautiful gem. Where do we stop and start as people? What are we really responsible for? Those of us who have our physical health and mental faculties have a responsibility to be aware of what we create. We make choices daily and we need to be aware of those choices. We are more than a pin ball bouncing off of  obstacles within a game. Our energy can either be self supporting or that of an energy vampire. We can lift up those that we come in contact or we can drain others by demanding that they sacrifice their lives to our laziness. So much complication for day to day decisions. We can be good parents and encourage our children to grow and explore life with enthusiasm or we can shackle our children with guilt,fear  and the threat of rejection . From cradle to grave we have the opportunity to create our lives in a positive and truly beautiful expression of who we are soul wise. Why do individuals go astray? Why do people choose greed , lies, violence and fear? Is this necessarily an easier path than generosity, truth , peace and courage? Look at your boundaries. Are they healthy ones? Or have you been coerced, frightened, or threatened into making your life decisions? Choose wisely. Walk softly on this beautiful Earth, say hello to the Sun and let the Universe know you are full of love and light.

wild lupine in the meadow